Electrical connecting device for hybrid and electric vehicles and associated method for charging

ABSTRACT

An electrical connecting device having an output connection, which is designed to be detachably connected to a charging connection of an accumulator device of a vehicle operated using current, the electrical connecting device also including a supply connection that is designed to be detachably connected to a network connection of an alternating current low-voltage interconnected network. The connecting device is characterized in that the electrical connecting device includes an alternating current/direct current converter, which is suitable for converting the alternating voltage of the supply connection to an electric DC voltage suitable for the accumulator device. A method is also described for charging an accumulator device of a vehicle operated by current using an electrical connecting device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a connecting device and a method forcharging hybrid and electric vehicles, particularly for charging usingthe electric power of a supply network.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Conventionally, one may charge hybrid and electrical vehicles by aconnecting cable using a supply network. Electrical supply networkssupply an alternating voltage of 230 V (or other standardized voltagevalues, such as 110 V), which, however, on the one hand, based on thehigh value of the voltage, and on the other hand, based on its type,that is, alternating voltage, is not directly suitable for chargingaccumulators of electrically operated vehicles. Accumulator devices forthe traction of electrically operated vehicles require DC voltage, thecharging current being defined by the level of the DC voltage.

For charging accumulator devices, using an alternating voltage supplynetwork, it is therefore necessary to provide an alternatingcurrent/direct current converter which rectifies, for one thing, andsupplies a direct voltage having an adjustable and suitable level foranother. The direct voltage may also be fixed ahead of time, as afunction of the charging mechanism, in which case, however, in usualsupply networks of 230 V or 110 V, no suitable voltage level is able tobe achieved by mere rectification.

Therefore, alternating current/direct current converters are requiredwhich are conventionally provided particularly at the accumulatordevice, generally within the vehicle.

Consequently, in conventional charging processes, the connection betweenan alternating current interconnected network and a vehicle is a simplecable, via which, for charging the accumulators, the vehicle isconnected to an alternating voltage supply network. On the one hand, theconversion as well as the adjustment to the suitable voltage level isprovided within the vehicle, so that, for different supply networks,there is compatibility, especially when vehicles are exported tocountries having different supply voltages. On the other hand,alternating current/direct current converters have to be designedspecifically for the accumulator device and specifically for thevoltage, which an interconnected network, i.e., the electrical supply,provides in an area in which the vehicle is being operated.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplifyingelectrical connecting device and a simplifying method for charging anaccumulator device.

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, thealternating current/direct current converter is not provided at theaccumulator device and in the vehicle in which the accumulator device islocated, but instead to provide the required conversion, and thus alsothe converter itself, outside the vehicle, i.e., within an electricalconnecting device which is designed to connect a fixed network terminalof a low voltage interconnected network and the charging terminal of thevehicle.

An example electrical connecting device according to the presentinvention includes a supply terminal by which the connecting device isable to be connected to the network terminal. In the same way, theelectrical connecting device according to the present invention includesan output terminal which is able to be connected to the chargingterminal. Both the network connection and the charging connection of thevehicle are not a part of the electrical connecting device, butrepresent complementary connecting elements for the supply connectionand for the output connection. Consequently, during charging, the supplyconnection is connected to the network connection using a (lockable anddetachable) plug connection to the network connection, for instance, viaa usual network plug, and the output connection is connected via a(lockable and detachable) plug connection to the charging connection ofthe vehicle, these connections to the vehicle and the interconnectednetwork being detachable. The alternating current/direct currentconverter is provided between the supply connection and the outputconnection of the connecting device, so that the input of the converteris connected to the supply connection, and the output of the converteris connected to the output connection. Furthermore, the electricalconnecting device includes at least one cable, the at least one cablebeing able to be provided between the supply connection and theconverter; the at least one cable being able to include an additionalcable which connects the converter to the output connection. Theelectrical connecting device may further include a cable drum, forwinding up the cable, on which the at least one cable (preferably allthe cable pieces of the at least one cable) may be wound up. In thiscable drum, or fastened to it, there is an alternating current/directcurrent converter, in order to be able to adjust the DC voltage outputby it or to provide it according to a desired charging mode. In the sameway, the converter is preferably designed to work with differentalternating voltages and/or different frequencies, without the outputvoltage thereby changing (with the configuration remaining the same). Inparticular, the converter is preferably designed to be connected to a110-Volt network and to a 230-Volt network having alternating voltage ata frequency of 50 or 60 Hz, and from this to generate an adjustableoutput DC voltage, which is output at the output connection.

The connecting device according to the present invention may thus beprovided in a simple manner to have an additional safety mechanism,which first detects whether the output connection is still plugged intothe charging connection or whether at least a part of the cable is stilllocated outside the cable drum, in order to conclude from this that thevehicle is connected at least mechanically to the connecting device. Ifit is thus detected that the connecting device has not yet been detachedfrom the vehicle, then, via a data interface or a control interface, theelectrical connecting device is able to prevent the vehicle from goingover into driving mode. This may be provided, for instance, by a commandof the electrical connecting device, which is transmitted to the vehiclevia the still-existing connection between the output connection and thecharging connection, a driving operation control of the vehicle therebyreceiving the information that the driving mode is to be blocked.

Moreover, a data exchange may be provided by the connecting device, inwhich the charging connection, or rather, the vehicle itself, via itscontrol, transmits data to the electrical connecting device and to theconverter, in order to charge the converter according to the chargingvoltage requested by the vehicle. In the same way, the vehicle controlor a charging control may transmit a command via the charging connectionand the output connection, and consequently via the data interfaceprovided thereby, namely, a parameter or a control command to theconverter, which gives a desired charging mode. Such a charging mode maydescribe, for instance, a charging or a compensation charging, theconverter being set according to this command, so as to output acorresponding current and/or a corresponding voltage to the outputconnection. The electrical connecting device thereby becomes universallyapplicable, since it is not a fixed entity for one specific accumulatortype, but is freely configurable by the respective vehicle. This permitsthe use of the electrical connecting device for a multitude of vehiclemodels.

In the same way, one and the same electrical connecting device issuitable for a plurality of charging modes, to the extent that thelatter are able to be transmitted to the connecting device via the dataconnection. In one particularly simple embodiment, a voltage value isoutput to the connecting device via a normalized data transmissionprotocol, which applies as a setpoint value for the converter. Inparticular, by repeated transmission of such voltage values, any voltageprofile or any charging mode may be set by the control of the vehicle,the converter of the connecting device according to the presentinvention thereby being able to output any desired voltage via theoutput connection to the accumulator of the vehicle. In this case, onlya normalized data interface is required, which is preferably cable-bound(such as in the manner of an USB connection) or may be provided as aconnection via a radio interface, or using near field induction, or viaan infrared interface. Preferably, however, a cable-supported datainterface is used, which provides a plug connection that is providedmechanically within the output connection (or, in complementary fashion,within the charging connection , in parallel to a power connection, viawhich the charging voltage or the charging current is transmitted to thevehicle at the output connection. The data interface or its bodilymanifestation (for instance, as a plug connection) within the outputconnection is preferably fixedly connected to connecting components ofthe output connection, via which a charging current is transmitted fromthe converter to the vehicle via the output connection, if theconnecting device is connected to the vehicle.

The electrical connecting device according to the present inventiontherefore includes an output connection that is designed to bedetachably connected to a charging connection of an accumulator deviceof a vehicle operated by current. The electrical connecting device alsoincludes a supply connection that is designed to be detachably connectedto a network connection of an alternating current low-voltageinterconnected network. The output connection of the electricalconnecting device and the charging connection of a vehicle that is to beconnected to it are thus complementary connecting elements. In the sameway, the supply connection of the electrical connecting device and thenetwork connection of the alternating current low-voltage interconnectednetwork are complementary to each other. The network connection of analternating current low-voltage interconnected network is usuallysupplied by a usual alternating current supply connection of a 230 Voltor 110 Volt current connection to which the supply connection iscomplementary. The network connection has the form of a usual 230 Voltalternating current/direct current converter socket outlet, forinstance, and the supply connection is therefore developed like a usualmains plug. The output connection preferably differs from the supplyconnection, so as to avoid interchanges.

The electrical connecting device according to the present inventionincludes an alternating current/direct current converter, that is alsodesignated as an AC/DC converter. The converter preferably has a nominalpower at which the desired charging currents may be implemented, forinstance, a nominal power of at least 0.5 kW, 1 kW, 2 kW, or 5 kW or 10kW. The input of the alternating current/direct current converter ispreferably designed to be two-phase, but may also be provided for athree-phase connection. In the case of a three-phase connection, thesupply connection of the connecting device according to the presentinvention is designed as a three-phase connection and is embodied to beconnectible with a usual three-phase socket. The converter of theconnecting device according to the example embodiment of the presentinvention is designed to convert alternating voltage of the supplyconnection to an electric DC voltage that is suitable for an accumulatordevice. For this, the converter is configurable and adjustable, so thatthe output voltage may be selected.

The output connection preferably has a two-pole plug connection elementby which the connecting device is able to be connected to the chargingconnection of a vehicle. For this, a plurality of cables havingsufficient cross section are suitable, which make possible a currenttransmission of at least 5 A, 10 A, 20 A or 50 A. The output connectionis therefore suitable for being connected to a charging connection of anaccumulator device of a vehicle, the vehicle being able to be an hybridor an electric passenger motor vehicle, and the accumulator device beingsuitable in its capacity and power for use as a traction energy storewithin an hybrid or an electric passenger motor vehicle. In particular,the output connection is designed to be connected to a chargingconnection of the accumulator device, which is used as a traction energystore for an hybrid or an electric passenger motor vehicle, and thus hasan high capacity, especially higher than the capacities of accumulatorsof an internal combustion engine-driven motor vehicle.

According to one preferred specific embodiment of the present invention,the converter is designed to output a DC voltage of adjustable level.The adjustable level may be provided by a memory within the electricalconnecting device, or may be transmitted via an input of the electricalconnecting device. Consequently, the alternating current/direct currentconverter includes a memory in which a value is stored that defines thelevel of the voltage as a setpoint value. Alternatively or incombination with this, the alternating current/direct current converter(or the connecting device) may have an input at which the level of thevoltage may be input as setpoint value for the converter. Alternativelyor in combination with this, the converter or the connecting device mayinclude a switch, whose setting defines the level of the voltage as asetpoint value. Alternatively or in combination with this, theconnecting device or the converter may include a potentiometer, whosesetting defines the level of the voltage as a setpoint value. One isthereby able to set the voltage as output voltage of the converter, as afunction of the vehicle that is to be connected.

In a further preferred specific embodiment, the electrical connectingdevice also includes a cable drum or another device for accommodatingthe at least one cable of the electrical connecting device. Thus, theconnecting device also includes at least one cable, for connecting theconverter to the supply connection, to the output connection or to both.The cable drum offers sufficient inner space for accommodating thecable, and preferably also includes a roll-up mechanism, for drawing thecable generally completely into the cable drum. By “drawing the cablegenerally completely into the cable drum” one should understand that thecable drum, or rather its inner space, encloses the connecting cable forthe most part, and only short cable pieces (if present) and perhaps thesupply connection and the output connection are provided completely orpartially outside the cable drum, and the at least one cable isgenerally accommodated completely in the cable drum. Thus, by “completeaccommodation” a condition is also understood in which the supplyconnection or the output connection project completely or partially fromthe cable drum. The same applies for short sections of the cable, whichis directly connected to the supply connection or the output connection.The at least one cable connects the output connection to the supplyconnection via the converter. In this instance, the at least one cablemay include two sub-pieces, which are provided between the converter andthe output connection or between the converter and the supplyconnection. Furthermore, however, only one single cable may be providedwhich connects the converter to the supply connection, or which connectsthe converter to the output connection, an additional external cablebeing required for the connection to the network connection or to thecharging connection.

According to one further preferred specific embodiment, the electricalconnecting device is provided with a safety mechanism, which prevents avehicle that is connected to this from a driveaway of the vehicle. Sucha connecting device also includes a sensor, that is provided in theoutput connection or at the alternating current/direct currentconverter. The sensor is designed to ascertain, electronically ormechanically, whether the output connection is plugged into a chargingconnection connected to it. Thus, the sensor is in a position ofdetecting the connection state between the output connection and thecharging connection, so that the sensor is able to provide data that areable to be used for the safety mechanism. Alternatively or incombination with this, the sensor is designed to ascertain whether theelectrical connecting device is in a generally completely rolled-upstate. The sensor is therefore in a position to detect whether the atleast one cable is completely accommodated on the cable drum. If this isthe case, one may assume that no connection exists between chargingconnection and output connection. This specific embodiment relatesparticularly to a connecting device according to the present invention,in which a piece of cable of at least one cable is provided between theconverter and the output connection. Using a switch, the sensor is ableto detect, for example, the plugged-in state, or it is able to detectwhether the cable drum is extensively rolled up. As an alternative,optical detection mechanisms, or the like, may be used. According to afurther specific embodiment, the sensor is provided by at least oneelectrical contact that is provided at the output connection, and whichis connected by a connecting element in the charging connection, if theoutput connection is provided in the charging connection, and which isnot connected if the output connection is located outside the chargingconnection.

These sensor data are preferably passed on to a controller, in order tostop a vehicle (that is, to block an active travel condition) based onthe sensor data, and to release a vehicle to travel when it isascertained that the output connection is not connected to the chargingconnection. Therefore, the connecting device according to the presentinvention, preferably its output connection, has a data interface whichis able to be connected to a data interface of a charging connection ofa vehicle. The data interface of the output connection is designed tooutput control data and sensor data to the data interface of thecharging connection that is complementary to it. The sensor datadescribe a plugged-in state of the output connection or other state dataof the connecting device. In particular, the sensor data describewhether the output connection is still connected to the chargingconnection or not. Based on the sensor data, the connecting deviceaccording to the present invention, preferably the converter, generatescontrol data, in order to output these via the data interface of theoutput connection to the vehicle, or rather to a vehicle controller. Thecontrol data therefore include a driving operation control command whichinduces the vehicle controller to ignore a starting instruction and/orto suppress all possible transitions to a travel state of the vehicle.The control data, especially the driving operation command, aregenerated by the electrical connecting device, which is arranged to dothis, sensor data being also generated by the electrical connectingdevice and output connection via the output connection. Furthermore, thedata interface of the output connection is designed to transmit data inthe opposite direction. Control data that are transmitted by theconnecting device to the vehicle via the output connection especiallyinclude the driving operation control command. Control data that aretransmitted in the opposite direction, that is, towards the connectingdevice (and starting from the vehicle), include a charging command or acompensation charging command. According to this command, the converteris either induced to output a charging current or to output acompensation charging current. Alternatively, instead of the command,control data may also be transmitted which specify a voltage setpointvalue or a current setpoint value, according to which the converter isoperated. Moreover, sensor data that are transmitted from the outputconnection to the connecting device, are able to describe a setpointcharging response or other charging parameters, especially operatingstate data of the vehicle, from which the converter may draw aconclusion on a suitable mode.

According to that, the output connection of the connecting device,according to the example embodiment of the present invention, isoutfitted with a current transmission element, for instance, in the formof power current plugs, as well as with a preferably cable-bound plugconnection, which provides the data interface of the output connection.The data interface is preferably a serial data interface according to anormalized protocol. That means that vehicles only have to master thedata transmission protocol in order to be charged by the connectingdevice according to the present invention, when prompted byspecifications internal to the vehicle.

In a further specific embodiment, the data interface is provided as aradio connection, the converter having an appropriate send/receivedevice, together with a control which controls components provided forcurrent conversion according to data received using the radio interface.

The present invention is further provided by an example method forcharging an accumulator device of a vehicle operated using current. Theexample method is preferably based on using the electrical connectingdevice, so that at least charging using the electrical connecting devicedescribed above is provided. The example method includes converting analternating current of an alternating current low-voltage interconnectednetwork into DC voltages, which is suitable for charging an accumulatordevice. Alternatively, the alternating voltage may be converted to a DCvoltage (by the converter of the connecting device), which is suitablefor the compensation charging of the accumulator device, i.e., forproviding a DC voltage from which, together with the accumulator, acharging current results which, generally, corresponds to theself-discharge and the standby current use of the vehicle. The DCvoltage of the converter is supplied to a charging connection of thevehicle, via the output connection of the electrical connecting device,according to the present invention. However, the converter is notlocated within the vehicle, as is the conventional case, but outside thevehicle in the electrical connecting device, which provides theconnection between the vehicle and the network connection. Theelectrical connecting device, in particular the alternatingcurrent/direct current converter, is therefore provided outside thevehicle, during charging. Because the converter is provided outside thevehicle, it is in a position to detect the state of connection betweenthe output connection and the charging connection, and to reactaccordingly (for instance, by activating a vehicle controller to block adriving mode) and it is also in a position of being able to be used fordifferent vehicles. In particular, the connecting device provides adetachable interface by which the converter is able to be separated fromthe accumulator, so that one is able to use the converter for othervehicles, and so that the converter is provided outside the vehicle, forthis purpose. The example method therefore includes particularly theconnecting of the connecting device to the vehicle via a separableconnection. This is provided, as was described above, by an outputconnection of the connecting device and a charging connection of thevehicle, which are complementary to each other, and provide a detachableplug connection.

An example method according to the present invention preferably alsoincludes the safety mechanism described above, which is based on theidea that the example connecting device according to the presentinvention detects whether the output connection is still connected tothe charging connection or not, and accordingly prevents the vehiclefrom starting or traveling, by generating appropriate control signalsand/or control commands. Alternatively to detecting the plug-connectedstate between output connection and charging connection (which arecomplementary to each other) the unrolled state of the electricalconnecting device may also be detected. The unrolled state denotes theposition of the at least one cable with respect to the inner space ofthe cable drum, it being assumed that the cable and the outputconnection are generally located completely inside the cable drum if theoutput connection and a majority of the cable are provided inside thecable drum. In this case, it is assumed that the connecting deviceaccording to the present invention has not been rolled out, but theoutput connection is present separately from the charging connection, sothat a starting process or driving operation of the vehicle is notprevented. According to that, the travel operation of the vehicle isblocked if it is ascertained by the detection step that the electricalconnecting device is connected to a charging connection of the vehicle,that is, that the output connection is connected to the chargingconnection. Alternatively, it is ascertained by the detection step thatthe electrical connecting device is not in a generally completely rolledup state, whereby the travel operation is also blocked.

According to one additional specific embodiment of the method accordingto the present invention, the electrical connecting device according tothe present invention is an active component of the blocking mechanism,and generates and transmits a blocking command to the vehicle, or to adriving control of the vehicle. The blocking command is thus not onlytransmitted by the electrical connecting device, but also generated byit, preferably by a control of the converter.

In this instance, the blocking command is transmitted via a datainterface, which is provided by the electrical connecting device. Thedata interface is particularly formed by the data interfaces of theoutput connection and the charging connection that are complementary toeach other. The output connection and its data interface are preferablymechanically connected to each other, whereby during the removal andduring plugging in the output connection by the mechanical connectionbetween this output connection and its data interface, the latter isseparated from the data interface of the charging connection or isconnected to it. The removal and the plugging in of the outputconnection from/to the charging connection, and the connection for theelectrical energy transfer to the connection to the data transmission(i.e., using the data interface) are synchronized via the mechanicalconnection, so that both are simultaneously removed or plugged in.

Furthermore, not only is the mechanical connection between the outputconnection and the charging connection able to be detected by electricalor mechanical sensors, but the connection between the output connectionand the charging connection may also be monitored electrically by havingthe connecting device, and particularly the converter, check anelectrical connection by recording a current flow and sensing a contactaccordingly. In response to a missing contact between the outputconnection and the charging connection, no current is able to flowthrough the connecting device, from which it may be concluded, just onthe basis of the current flow in the at least one cable, in theconverter or even at the supply connection or at the output connection,that no contact exists between the output connection and the chargingconnection. A current flow of generally zero therefore leads to thelifting of the travel blocking, whereas a current flow of greater thanzero is evaluated as a connection between the output connection and thecharging connection, and consequently the travel operation is blocked,preferably using control commands via the data interfaces of the outputconnection and the charging connection. Instead of an activetransmission of control data by the electrical connecting device, theelectrical connecting device, according to a polling method, may alsogive out control data/sensor data upon a retrieval request by a vehiclecontrol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the electrical connecting device accordingto the present invention, in a basic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows in a schematic representation a specific embodiment of theelectrical connecting device according to the present invention, havingan output connection 10 and a supply connection 20. The electricalconnecting device also includes an alternating current/direct currentconverter 30, which is furnished with a converter control 32 and a powerconverter 34 for converting an alternating current to a direct current.Converter 30 therefore does not only include current converter component34 in the form of the converter itself, but also converter control 32.Converter 30 of the connecting device according to the present inventionalso includes a cable drum 36, so as to be able to take up at least onecable section. In FIG. 1 the converter is shown only symbolically, thefunctions of controlling, converting and the storing of cable sectionsbeing shown symbolically under reference numerals 32, 34 and 36, andconverter 30 unifies these functions in the form of the rectangle thatcircumscribes the illustrations of the functions of converter 30. In thereal implementation, on the other hand, the converter may be definedbodily generally by the cable drum in which the cable, control 32 andconverter 34 are accommodated.

According to the present invention, output connection 10 is designed tobe connected to a charging connection 12 of a vehicle (not shown).Output connection 10 and charging connection 12 are consequentlycomplementary plug connection elements.

In the same way, supply connection 20 is provided to be connected to anetwork connection 22, so that supply connection 20 is developed to becomplementary to network connection 22. Network connection 22 isconnected to an alternating current low-voltage interconnected network(not shown). The electrical connecting device according to the presentinvention, according to FIG. 1, further includes two cables 40, 42,cable 40 or cable section 40 being provided between alternatingcurrent/direct current converter 30 and supply connection 20, so as toconnect these two to each other. In the same way, cable 42 or cablesection 42 is provided between converter 30 and output connection 10,and provides an electrical connection between these components. Theelectrical connection for the transmission of charging energy fromnetwork connection 22 to charging connection 12, provided by the cables,is shown by a solid line.

Over and above that, the connecting device according to the presentinvention includes control connections and data connections which areshown by dotted lines. For one thing, converter control 32 is connectedto converter 34 via such a control connection, to activate it withrespect to setpoint value specifications. In addition, cable 42, besidesa connection for the transmission of electrical charging energy, alsoprovides a data connection, which is shown as a dotted line. This dataconnection 44 extends between converter 30 and output connection 10.Output connection 10 also includes devices for data transmission 46,which form a data interface for output connection 10. The contacts whichimplement this interface 46 are preferably connected in a fixed mannerto the contacts which provide the power-transmitting part of outputconnection 10. Data interface 46 of the output connection is developedin a complementary fashion to data interface 48, which is associatedwith the charging connection. Because of that, a data connection isprovided between data interface 48 of charging connection 12, of datainterface 46, complementary to it, of output connection 10 and of dataconnection 44, which runs between the converter and the outputconnection. According to a first specific embodiment, data connection 44is embodied as a physical channel which is separate from cable 42.Alternatively, data connection 44 may be logically separated from powerconnection 42, but developed physically by the same entity. In thiscase, for instance, cable 42 is provided for transmitting chargingpower, and data connection 44 is provided by a signal that is modulatedupon the cable, which is logically separated at output connection 10(for example, by filtering) from power transmission 42. In this case,control 42 provides such a modulation and/or filtering for transmittingand receiving. Furthermore, data connection 44 may be designed to be inthe other direction, in which case interface 48 of charging connection(or a controller of the vehicle) modulates a signal upon the existingcable and output connection 10, in order to separate the modulated-uponsignal by controller 32 logically from cable connection 42.

Independently of the actual implementation, the embodiment of FIG. 1shows a cable connection 44, via which, for instance, control date ofthe vehicle (not shown) are transmitted via the data interfaces of thecharging connection and of output connection 46, 48, via data connection44 to converter 30. The controller records the signals and accordinglyactivates converter 34 via control connection 32′. In the sametransmission direction, a sensor may be provided through interfaces 46,48, using which one is able to detect whether the output connection isplugged into the charging connection or not. For this, an additionalsensor (not shown) may be provided within output connection 10 or on it,which detects the plugged-in state. The sensor signal corresponding tothe plugged-in signal is transmitted to converter 30 by data line 44,whose controller 32 records this signal and derives from it whetheroutput connection 10 is still connected to charging connection 12 ornot. (Alternatively, the current flow through cable 42 may be recorded,for instance, by converter 34 or by controller 32, in order to concludefrom the current flow whether output connection 10 is still connected tocharging connection 12). If it is detected (independently of thedetection method) that output connection 10 is connected to chargingconnection 12 (or its data interfaces 46, 48 are connected to eachother), controller 32 of converter 30 generates a control signal whichis transmitted via data connection 44 by converter 30 to data interface46 of output connection 10, from there to data interface 48 of thecharging connection, and starting from this data interface 48, furtherto a controller (not shown) via a data line 50 that is internal to thevehicle. Via this path, converter 30 according to the present inventiontransmits a blocking command, which prevents the vehicle (not shown)from going over to a travel state.

As was noted before, the connecting device according to the presentinvention is neither a component of a vehicle nor a part of a networkconnection or of an alternating current low-voltage interconnectednetwork. Rather, output connection 10 and supply connection 20 providesa connecting element in each case, which is complementary to the networkconnection or the charging connection. The corresponding interfaces areshown by dashed lines 60, 62, interface 60 being used for the energytransmission between network connection 22 and supply connection 20, butwhich separates the connecting device from the network connection andthe interconnected network, and interface 62 being used for powertransmission (and also data transmission) between output connection 10and charging connection 12 (or its interfaces 46, 48). Both interface 60and interface 62 are provided by detachable electrical connections, sothat the electrical connecting device is basically separable from thevehicle and separable from the network connection.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. An electrical connecting device, comprising: anoutput connection which is configured to be detachably connected to acharging connection of an accumulator device of a vehicle operated usingcurrent; and a supply connection that is configured to be detachablyconnected to a network connection of an alternating current low-voltageinterconnected network; wherein the electrical connecting deviceincludes an alternating current/direct current converter, which isconfigured to convert alternating voltage of the supply connection to anelectric DC voltage suitable for the accumulator device.
 12. Theelectrical connecting device as recited in claim 11, wherein the outputconnection is configured to be connected to the charging connection ofthe accumulator device of one of a hybrid or an electric passenger motorvehicle.
 13. The electrical connecting device as recited in claim 11,wherein the alternating current/direct current converter is configuredto output a DC voltage of an adjustable level, and the alternatingcurrent/direct current converter one of: includes a memory in which avalue is stored which defines a level of the DC voltage as a setpointvalue, includes an input into which the level of the DC voltage is ableto be entered as a setpoint value for the alternating current/directcurrent converter, includes a switch whose setting defines the level ofthe DC voltage as a setpoint value, or includes a potentiometer whosesetting defines the level of the DC voltage as a setpoint value.
 14. Theelectrical connecting device as recited in claim 11, further comprising:at least one cable, and a cable drum which is designed for completeaccommodation of the cable, wherein the alternating current/directcurrent converter is accommodated completely in the cable drum, and theat least one cable connects the output connection to the supplyconnection via the alternating current/direct current converter.
 15. Theelectrical connecting device as recited in claim 11, further comprising:a sensor which is provided one of in the output connection or on thealternating current/direct current converter, and which is configuredone of to ascertain, one of electronically or mechanically, whether theoutput connection is plugged into a charging connection connectible toit, or to ascertain whether the electrical connecting device is in acompletely rolled-up state.
 16. The electrical connecting device asrecited in claim 11, wherein the output connection further has a datainterface, which is configured for connection to a data interface of acharging connection that is connectible to the output connection, theelectrical connecting device being at least one of: i) configured tooutput one of sensor data or control data to the data interface of thecharging connection via the data interface of the output connection, thesensor data describing a plugged-in state of the output connection orother state data of the electrical connecting device, and the controldata describing one of a travel operation blocking command, acharge-beginning command, a compensation charging command, or othercharging data or travel operation data, and ii) configured to receivesensor data or control data from the data interface of the chargingconnection via the data interface of the output connection, the sensordata describing one of a charging state of the accumulator device orother operating state data of the vehicle or of the accumulator device,and the control data describing a setpoint charging voltage, a setpointcharging behavior or other charging parameters, which are provided forimplementation by the alternating current/direct current converter. 17.A method for charging an accumulator device of a vehicle operated usingcurrent, using an electrical connecting device, the method comprising:converting an alternating voltage of an alternating current low-voltageinterconnected network to a DC voltage, which is suitable for chargingor compensation charging an accumulator device using an alternatingcurrent/direct current converter; supplying the DC voltage to a chargingconnection of the vehicle via an output connection of the electricalconnecting device, the electrical connecting device including thealternating current/direct current converter and the electricalconnecting device inclusive of the alternating current/direct currentconverter being provided outside the vehicle during charging, and duringthe charging, the output connection is connected detachably to thecharging connection.
 18. The method as recited in claim 17, furthercomprising: detecting one of a plugged-in state or an unrolled state ofthe electrical connecting device; and blocking a travel operation of thevehicle at least one of: i) if it is ascertained by the detecting thatthe electrical connecting device is connected to a charging connectionof the vehicle, or ii) if it is ascertained by the detecting step thatthe electrical connecting device is in a not completely rolled-up state.19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the detecting is carriedout by the electrical connecting device, and the blocking includes:generating and transmitting a blocking command to one of the vehicle orto a travel control of the vehicle, using the electrical connectingdevice.
 20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the blockingcommand is transmitted via a data interface which is provided by theelectrical connecting device, and which, during the detaching or duringthe plugging in of the output connection, is separated or connected to adata interface of the charging connection because of a mechanicalconnection between the data interface of the electrical connectingdevice and the output connection.